Botswana prepares for Afro-Basketball qualifiers
Dumisani Ncube | Thursday January 8, 2015 11:31
Botswana Basketball Association (BBA) public relations officer and coach of the women side, James Kalebwe has told Mmegi Sport that training started at the Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) indoor courts yesterday. He said the men’s team will play the first matches in the qualifiers away to Mozambique and Swaziland.
“The men are playing on a home and away format towards the end of February, the dates are yet to be confirmed,” Kalebwe explained. The return matches will be played two weeks after the away legs.
The Botswana teams are likely to host the second legs at the BNYC indoor courts. The Botswana men team boasts of players such as Churchill Barrows and China-based Karabo Geche. Kalebwe said the women qualifiers will be held in Zimbabwe in the first week of March. Three countries – South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe - will take part in the qualifiers. Only one women team from the qualifiers will make it to the Afro-Basketball tourney.
Kalebwe said that the Botswana men and women teams for the campaign comprise of young players and a few experienced ones. He said the mixture is good because they are trying to build a new team for the future.
“The women team includes three Under-18 players from the recent team that toured Egypt,” he said. Kalebwe lamented that the constant changing of dates of the qualifiers by FIBA has affected training since most Botswana players have other commitments.
Tunisia will host the Afro-Basketball women competition while Cameroon will stage the men’s event.
The dates for the tournament are yet to be announced. The winners will directly qualify for Rio 2016 Olympics. The Botswana men’s team is coached by William Nyangu and Trynos Moyo, while the women’s team is coached by Kalebwe and Angela Joseph.